Usurper
by shadewithoutcolor
Summary: Issac McDougal, a former State Alchemist, recounted the events of the Ishval War, which once he was a budding State Alchemist entering a campaign sanctioned by King Bradley. However, in the course of the Ishval War, his determination becomes the radicalization of a belief that the government must be thrown down, due to the corruption of King Bradley and his men.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori

 _Amidst the shadows, a spy quickly ran into the telephone booth and called him. "It is the Freezing Alchemist, he has a few men down.."_

 _Roy replied cooly "Oh, an old friend of mine…hmm..Issac…" as he looked through the confidential documents,possessing Issac's records,one of them being his withdrawal letter as ordinated by Bradley himself "Well I cannot handle all of the dirty work, maybe I should get the pipsqueak to help us out…" somehow Roy watched the formations of ice caved over the city, seems his task seem bigger than he thinks. Quietly he rung up the line "Call the Elric Brothers, we have a radical to catch.."_

* * *

Issac blinked his eyes slightly as he watched the prison guards moved rhythmically back and forth, one seems to be in the humdrum of their duties, an avenue of escape, after all, they did not endure the hardships of the Ishval war, a terrible war which he wished to forget, but never.

A quiet moment of a guard forgetting about his duty and covered the dull prison, covering the room with cigarette smoke, his hands gripped his neck and soon steam came across the room. He watched his face with indifference dictated in the war he was birthed too, the face of horror and terror. He shut his eyes closing out his final thoughts of his victim, for answers is what he is hungering for.

His eyes opened again. His body collapsed to the ground. He quietly took his coat and draped over his broad shoulders. The underbelly of the prison is nothing in comparison to the trenches of war, as he walked to the endless tunnels of prison, with men counting their days to their deaths. Isaac could read their solemn expressions, their demons soon strangling their feeble bodies.

However, a familiar face seems detached from all of the destruction. "Interesting…" the skinny man smirked cheekily, somehow his tone seems poetic to Issac's cause. "..At last, you wanted my help.." his hands revealed his tattooed Transmutation Circles. "You probably know of the assassination of the superior officers.." Kimblee paused slightly, it is deemed as classified in the military's watchful eyes,

"I am here to take down the bastard.."

"King Bradley…I assume" Kimblee laughed coldly "Not that easy, you know the killing of the superior officers, it is not for some noble clause...It takes bold men to oppose rule by his voice" Isaac noticed the dull sheen of the Philosopher's Stone inside Kimblee's mouth

"You still keep this…."

Kimblee chuckled slightly " Why to ask an illogical question Freezing Alchemist..." as he rolled the stone back to his mouth. "I am not God himself... I am a mere mortal.." Kimblee somehow glimpsed at the shrivelled bodies lying on the floor, for he enjoyed the scent of decomposing corpses "...Who knows if I could get my freedom back...It does not come with a clause. I am still charged with war crimes because of my sadism" The mood of the room went sombre, perhaps unusual of his mercurial character, but it showed his worst side. "I come to glimpse at the pain of humanity.." Kimble could be those trickers hungering for chaos. "Personally if I were you. I would think twice of throwing down a government." Isaac's heart twinged slightly. "You are simply fighting for a lost clause.."

 _That cannot be it, that cannot be it, that cannot be it._ Isaac grimaced slightly, and there he wandered into a hopeless cause.

* * *

A hopeless cause he cannot imagine as he slept at the corner of the train, with the tracks rumbling down as music to his ears, maybe he could hear the tinkling of the watches in their pockets. His hand clutched on that last letter from a relative, it gave him a happy memory of what he left behind. For they will go through a tumorous run, something bigger dictated by King Bradley, a mysterious figure of the military. A face intrigued him, as he seems detached to the sadness of leaving home. He only nodded him with a fedora placed on his chest. He seems to settle himself comfortably, narrowing his eyes quietly, observing Issac's uncomfortableness. He noticed the tattooed Transmutation Circles in his hands, but he quietly slipped it with kid gloves. He watched the sights change, with bridges flowing by, with children walking to school until it stopped to the next station. Another face came in, he noticed that he worn gloves marked with a flame Transmutation Circle, his eyes seem cocky, "Is this seat vacant.."

"…no.." That young man stays comfortably in his seat, smoothing his uniform, Isaac withdrew himself slightly. "Well I am Roy Mustang.." he lay down with ease, as he passed him an apple "They called me the Flame Alchemist.." His smile eased him slightly as he reluctantly took the apple and eat it quietly. At that moment, he saw another state alchemist, he seems loud and brash. "Well..well..well, it is the famous Flame Alchemist…bastard nearly beat me to my State Alchemist test…" Issac watched over him, and he gave a quiet chuckle "You, you seem sulky…" He protrudes himself, giving scoffs to Roy, who have to squeeze with a noisy man "Well I am pretty much a hot shot…" Slowly that young man reached his hand out "Call me The Giant-working Alchemist…"

"You mean Drunken Alchemist, Archer…" Roy shot back at Archer "I cannot forget that after the test, you went to a bar, with Hughes and I after our test and I could recall is.." Archer placed a finger on Roy's lips "You are going to bitch about that.I wanna know who the hell is he.."

Isaac swallowed slightly, "Well I assume you have a name silent one…" as Archer extended his hand out to give him a shake. "Issac…The Freezing Alchemist.." Archer gave him a big smile. "Well, I hope we will be brothers in arms, no matter what.." Isaac swallowed those words, that moment Archer's smile brought him to that realization. He knew those words will haunt him, as he climbed out of the drainpipes scrawling through the circle with chalk, He thought that Archer would appreciate a cleaner world, a world without war and corruption. The heat of war overcome him, pushing him to the edge, no matter what.

Isaac will be the Usurper to take the king down.

* * *

Note: Well I hope you enjoyed this new fanfic, this has been in my head since I rewatched the FMA brotherhood of the Freezing Alchemist which I wonder how Issac become an anti-government radical and the Ishaval War, which we know little (Well I guess Arawaka's storytelling came in at best, as she mentioned in fragments), I took an approach from Joseph Conard's Heart of Darkness,which we focus how the unrealiable narrator hunted for Colonel Kurtz, and David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia (One of my favourite films and I highly recommend it to grab the biggest screen) on T.E Lawrence's nuances to madness, played brillantly by Peter O'Toole.

The chapter's name came from Horace's words meaning "It is sweet and proper to die for the fatherland." which refers to an old WW1 poem by Wilfried Owen which I used it as inspiration for this fanfic. Surprisingly I enjoyed writing Kimblee's characterization in this chapter, and I recommend watching "Solf J. Kimblee - The Psychopathic Realist." by Aleczandxr on Youtube if you want to know Kimblee's characters (His FMA character analysis videos are pretty damn good) , as I am going to feature quite a bit of him alongside the rest of the State Alchemists along the way!

As usual, feedback and comments will be appreciated and I will post that chapter on my Tumblr account!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Heart Part 1 (Order 3066)

Somehow Issac drifts himself into glimpsing at the visages of the train, he somehow thought of home for that mere moment. True he ventured out to earn his place as the State Alchemist fighting an honourable war, a war to liberate the unclean. He watched a field of flowers and quickly sketched the patch of field, with such tenderness and calm. Issac secretly wished he had brought his watercolours along, to capture the vividness of the flowers in the field.

A voice echoed in the distance, just Archer smirking smugly "Sanctifying yourself for that one moment Isaac…" Issac turned to Archer quietly, which he placed a cigarette in between his mouth. "I know it sounds pretty pretentious but…" as he flipped through his dog-eared sketchbook, all animated with vignettes of life, from the food he ate on his journey to the train, the faces of a child playing with her mother's hair with her luminous eyes and even the bridge that snaked across the pretty lake. They were filled with joy and respite, unknowingly forgotten in the future. "You have talent, I suppose if you do not become a State Alchemist, people will buy your shit.." Archer laughed again as he flipped his sketchbook. Archer muttered under his breath while bitting his cigarette between his teeth "My my my…", admiring the details of his work. "To be honest, I cannot draw to save my life..but you…"

"You have bloody talent..." Issac heaved again as he ran over to the next corner to draw another transmutation circle. Maybe he should have fled to a different path, but he can never take back. His heart raced amidst the screams of the soldiers. He can never forget the sunken eyes of the corpses of the Ishvlans, as he waved his arms to form frightful icicles, blocking the views of the soldiers and slowly unleashed steaming tides, blinding them from Issac's quick steps. Another corner ran off with soldiers aiming at Issac's forehead which he quickly grasped it. Soon steam covered the secluded corner.

"Freezing and boiling. The elements of water." Isaac spoke frankly, the deconstruction and reconstruction are the factors where alchemy is birthed. That makes killing the soldiers easier, as he closed his heart to those frightened by his radicalism.

 _Perhaps it was not that time..._

"If we are not stuck in that shitty war…you could be a bloody artist.." Isaac reluctantly closed his sketchbook, shutting down Archer's showering comments. A change of scene churred Isaac's stomach. A broken bridge protrudes outside the fog, and instead of a clear stream. The water is streaked by the blood of men and women lying on the floor. Isaac closed his eyes off the horror, the horror only echoed at the paintings of an obscure museum, hellish forces swallowing the fertile land. He will never forget that hellish image. "And I swear I thought that hell did not exist…until now…" A wasteland enraptured by honour and glory. Kimblee chuckled slightly "You may be right Archer…" as he heaved in the aroma of the burning battlefield "The carnage…like spring.." Archer grew sick to the stomach on Kimblee's glee "War…what a time of reckoning and change, and we.." Isaac shuddered slightly on Kimblee's erotic grin as they passed away from the horrid landscape unto the blistering desert. "Are simply the harbingers of this land." At that moment the train whistled to their destination. Isaac swallowed slightly, as he kept the sketchbook inside his coat. And soon he followed the row of state alchemists whose gazes will swallow the calm land. Archer simpered darkly to Isaac who shivered slightly. "And so it begins…" and somehow he let the cigarette off from his mouth and blew a cloud of smoke. "Order 3066." Isaac watched the carnage of a rather peaceful town, with citizens screaming and blood trailing at every crevice of the land. That hellish image that is reckoned to an another, as the body become shrivelled. He glanced at the dashing dots, and suddenly the spear landed on the pathway. He observed quietly, it was not crafted by men, but a force that circled around by nature.

* * *

"Alchemy…" Somehow he heard a cocky voice of a young boy "Man that is horrible…" observing the carnage Isaac caused. "Sacrifices are inherent when attempting something great.." Isaac gave a cold grin "That is Equivalent Exchange." And indeed a horrid one to be exact, and soon they came to a battlefield. The hearts soon stripped off the battlefield. The young man came out the shadows, with striking golden eyes "This and that is not a thing…",as he clapped his hands furiously transmuting a spear into a bat with a comical face.

 _He seems to have a life that is not a battlefield. That should be fun._

Isaac swung his body against the young alchemist's swings. He heard the clanking at the distance. An armoured man clinging onto his body with steel arms. He is at the losing end, at most, he heard about the rumours of the youngest State Alchemist, a shining star in the military's dull crown. Of course, the boy's temper was hard to oppose, compared to the innocent Ishvalns who trembled at Issac's quick lunges at the battlefield.

Issac quietly surrendered himself to the forces, whilst praise was bathed to the glories of the Elric brothers. As he walked quietly to a secluded corner, he glanced at the puddles on the pavements. Maybe he cannot do it alone. He thought of the next person alive who lived those horrors. Kimblee. He heard rumours about his horrid killings of those involved in the military, and currently held in Central prison for his acts. Again a coup from King Bradley, to brainwash the military personnel.

That morning, Issac awoke wearily from the tent, when he glanced at Archer smirking at him wearily "Well wake up Issac of the Ice…" He watched Archer repressed his tremors in his hands. "We are making haste to the East of the State" Isaac missed the light-hearted banter between Archer and himself, it mostly eased the loneliness which they faced. "Apparently you know the shitty Flame Alchemist, and his dog Hughes who sat alongside with us." Slowly Issac lifted himself up from his bed and paced slowly. He recognized the duo, they seem to create a bond, and Roy's eyes holding to Hughes. "They are closer than ever, heard he wanted to be the Fuhrer, taking over King Bradley... A ballsy task I must say.."

"And you…" Isaac mummer wearily "What did you think of Roy.." Archer replied darkly "Aside from that he is ambitious, I admire his guts, but it wears him down someday. In fact, that bloody war shows the worse in humans, given that Kimblee seems to enjoy killing every Ishvlan in cold blood. Bloody hell his laughter grates me…"

Isaac fought the churring of his stomach of Kimblee's light-hearted nature to war. Maybe he will follow Issac's cry. He too must feel the heat of war. Issac smiled coldly as he clapped his transmutation circles and slowly fell down. Like a fog, he disappeared into the darkness, devising his next move to take down the king that oppose his people.

* * *

 **Note:** Thank you for all who read my fanfic, I hope you will continue to follow that story. Interestingly I took to watch The Fullmetal Alchemist to refresh my mind on Issac' scenes, and one of the challenges is to flesh out Issac as he is deemed as a one-note villain, so adding Archer is a great idea and plus I love the comedic foil between him and Isaac. I actually prefer my interpretation of the confrontation between Kimblee and Isaac more than the anime (And plus Kimblee is very fun to write which I may add his character into my original stories ), though I struggle to tone down the comedy aspect between the Elric Brothers and Isaac first meeting. But do not worry I am going to do more Elric brothers' scenes which is gonna be fun.

What really helps in this fanfic is reading T.S Eliot's The Waste Land in creating such vivid imagery of a battlefield and its horrors, I especially like Burial of the Dead, and The Hollow Men which I get my pen name from, to push Eliot's psychological lenses into Issac. It is rare I get to read things for stories but it helps me to get the right tone.

As usual, feedback and likes will be appreciated and I will put that chapter on Tumblr for our reading pleasure.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: The Heart Part 2 (No Light, No Day)**

"Hurry! Relief soldiers.."

"5 casualties down, Alert headquarters!"

Issac heaved quietly as he watched the sky clouding his view from that damning quarter, no one will ever find him amidst the chaos. Kimblee's words are meaningless.

"Just one more.." with the lights barely shining over the darkened floor, covering the transmutation circle he drew. "Bradley will fall straight to hell.." All are in the search for that fugitive, he heard from the tunnels that Roy Mustang brought enforcements and embargo of Central. He dodged soldiers shining torchlights at tunnels and inspection checks. He is almost close.

The blaring sirens become more evident since he killed one of the guards in cold blood in Central Prison. Paranoia has gripped over the city. And Bradley is the deluded king forcing all to take arms against him. Issac is his own man standing at the front, tracing the last transmutation circle unto the floor, hungry for the king's throne to be destroyed.

A crackling sound is heard at the distance, forming deadly spears on the wall. "To dodge my alchemy.." Shit. Isaac thought angrily. He knew his voice and his alchemy skills. It is the Strong Arm Alchemist. He knew that he will boast about his family's masterful alchemic skills during the train ride which he will show his family tree of the relatives who served in this cage. "As expected of you.."

"Precisely." A thundering voice echoed through the walls. Out of the formations came a muscular man with a deep gaze. A different man he witnessed at the Ishval war, which he would spend nights glaring at the water basin, pondering over the innocent lives bathed through the battlefield, while Archer gave him a small Brandy bottle, comforting him that they will survive the hellhole in the end. He would draw that lonesome figure in pencil, his face haunted by the glory that it is planted by the mad king. Isaac quickly swiped his hands and form a jet slicing through the arrows, praying he will fall into his attacks.

* * *

Seems that Armstrong rose from the ashes, not pitying his fellow man in arms, as he lunged back his water jets with a swift punch, causing a commotion of dust and steam, as horrid as that grinning young lady Dietlinde (Known as the Chlorine Alchemist, as she proclaimed it on a drunken bar crawl with Archer, altho she fought with many alchemists on the military ) clapping her hands to erupt poisonous gas to the peaceful lands. He represses shivers in his body by recalling images of home, but it is all far when it comes to war. Instead of flowers in the field, collapsed bodies with eyes staring at the sun. Dietlinde is perhaps as cruel, as Kimblee himself.

Archer watched her wipe her mouth dribbled with blood as she walked away from the destruction, with her mouth grinning in horror. " Shit she has way more balls than us.." as Archer raced up to the hill, taking out his rods to barricade the frightened Ishvalans. "I can't watch her smile like this..she seems scarier than Kimblee.." Isaac created ice walls to freeze the trapped people, amidst the shouts and shooting the rebels with pistols. "I wonder, after all these years, what would they think of us, heroes or villains.."

* * *

Suddenly Issac heard footsteps running over to the corner, with a young man calling out quietly at the distance "Major"

Shit. The Elric brothers again. The pipsqueak and the suit of armour.

Quickly Isaac quickly threw the water bottle, causing the steam to rise in the air. "Watch out.." the armoured boy quickly covered his brother. His heart raced back and forth as he watched over the roads. Shit. Patrol cars roaming the streets. Dogs barking loudly from his scent and soldiers walking up and down, with guns. It will be only soon that Armstrong and the Elric brothers will catch up to him. Quietly he climbed up to the rooftop of the building, watching over the horrid lights burn the Central Headquarters.

* * *

T hat same lights that dimmed his stay during the horrid hospitalization in Ishval.

He only recalled heat and hushed talks by the superiors over the job of a certain alchemist. "Seems that Giant-Working Alchemist did well.."

"Look at the results…10,00 Ishvals killed" as one of the advisors showed the papers. One nodded quietly. Another conversation talking about the progress of annihilating nearby villages. All accounts horrible and nightmarish "Soon he will beat the Chlorine Alchemist's record anytime."

"How is Diehilde…" One of the doctors enquired about her. "She should be back in the battlefield, I feel that she is the angel of death hiccup we all deserve.."

"Fuhrer will be pleased.."

Isaac watched that young lady coughed slightly, as one of the medics carried her hurriedly to the bed. It was Diethilde, seems her alchemic abilities pushed her to the limit. Somehow her chest grew heavier and heavier. Blood and pus ooze over the bed. Her screams become choked.

At that moment, Isaac could hear a man cursing loudly, and the doctors scrambling for the instruments. Suddenly Isaac could recognize his cocky face as he tried to hold his spilt intestines intact as he was searching for the bottle of brandy. _Archer._

"Shit, what have you done ?" Isaac shouted harshly "You crazy bastard what the hell you have done to yourself.." Archer withheld the pain of the spreading infection in his legs, as one of the medics held her body tightly "I blame the bloody Ishvals for hastening it.." as they tried to saw it quickly with fast motions and shouts at the distance. "I should have watched out… these bastards have some dirty secrets.." Isaac watched the blood slowly seeping through the bed. And Archer withholding the pain, as they twisted his bone out, causing a loud wince.

Archer somehow smiled at him, as he could feel the burn from the wounds, and one of the doctors quickly sewing up the wound. "Bloody hell Issac.." as she watched him hold his gun tightly to his neck, from her bed "There is no use sparing me with your prayers, I lived for something worthwhile, not for this shit…" Archer glanced at Isaac whom by, now sketching alchemists stumbling upon the overcrowded "All I thought is to go home. I want nothing. To live a life of the ordinary…Oh, I wished…"

He glanced at an another Alchemist, with eyes covered with bandages crying out in pain, as one of the nurses covered his mouth tightly. Another alchemist And quietly Issac drew Archer laid down, with eyes widened with horror and, hands slowly choking his lifeless body. He watched another person coming in, his head wrapped with bandages, and that gaze haunted his mind. He was accompanied by Hughes who smiled at him. "Ice, you seem pale.."

Isaac stared at him blankly "What do you care, in the end, we become a static to someone's hands…"

"True…" Roy withheld his trembling voice, watching the battlefield slowly consumed in flame. "I am glad to fight with someone on my side.." as he clenched his fist slightly. Hughes hushed him quietly "Come, pal, we gotta rest…" as he laid him gently on the bed.

"We have another day to fight.."

* * *

"It has been a while, Ice.." A familiar voice came, that irritating alchemist Roy Mustang. He always comes out brave, yet frightened. He should hate the war as him, but he seems to come out of fear. "Roy Mustang" Isaac mockingly called out Roy for holding his State Alchemist watch with pride "No, The Flame Alchemist."

What a mockery.

Roy lamented quietly "it's a shame that I have to fight with a past comrade." as he slipped his gloves quietly, his eyes gazed on the target. He would recall a day in which Isaac saved his life when he pushed his body and launched a freezing attack to hold the bombs. Now his eyes grew mad in horror. A different man, from his heroism days "Comrade, I do not have any friends.." Isaac spoke somberly, watching the town in shambles, and himself being the only survivor of the killings. The only source is himself. The carrier of horrid memories. Roy grew indifferent like every alchemist coming out of this war, on the horrors of Bradley. "The only ones in Ishval are the corrupted military and their dogs."

"Seems I do not have much a choice." as Roy snapped his fingers to create flames that covered the rooftop. Little that Roy knew that overheating the pipe caused it to burst. Isaac used this deviation to blast a powerful water jet unto his face "it's just fire, Flame Alchemist, after all..it can't win against water.." as he ran off quickly, watching Roy's face winced with anger as he tried to snap his fingers, causing no oxygen in the air.

Crippling the dog in the military is just one step to their damnation. Isaac quickly jumped down to the alley, anxiety came over him, what if someone destroyed his beautiful creation, Madness came over him, there is no end to the darkness as he dug through the rocks. He gave a sigh of relief. The brothers came over him, like the blind martyrs the military is. "I was wondering what the heck you are doing in the back of an alley like this back then…" Edward drummed confidently to Isaac like a corned animal "I came back and bingo…"

A voice protested in the distance "No use running away" The armoured brother, known as Al, cornered him quietly, with his gaze fixed on that maddening creature "Run?" Isaac closed his eyes and slowly red light bathed over the circles. The brothers' faces writhed in shock over the cooling temperatures and the crystallisation of the walls. Red light illuminated Issac's maddened expression, creating huge forces of ice over the dark pathways. "There is no need for that.."

* * *

Isaac used to paint walls underground with many horrid figures of people just screaming and hold their bleeding children to their breasts, alchemists burying those who have slain with makeshift graves, imposing figures counting the number of bodies collected. He was then the victim of those horrors, letting his demons out in these secluded spaces. "No way…do not tell me..that could be" Alphonse spoke frightfully as the walls of the alley slowly froze over into an icy cave.

A fortress birthed from anger and bitterness. Isaac no longer holds it, to his canvases and himself. He found everything to be in the bloody military, a bigger conspiracy came over in numbers. Let the world know about it.

 _Burn the headquarters producing those wretched alchemists. Burn the blind people following orders baseless and meaningless._

 _Burn._

 _Burn them all._

* * *

 **Note: First of all, thank you all for being so patient with my updating, as for the past two weeks I have been unwell with flu and an asthma attack that prevented me from updating my chapters, and also me being busy at work. To me, one of the most challenging moments is to turn over the cheesy dialogue of Isaac to something concrete. I mean I have to make Isaac a real person and creating those interactions to intersect is, pretty cool.**

 **So I am going to post the next chapter in a matter of days, to focus on my God of War Fanfic Stolen which has been my popular fanfic to date as I have some scenes in mind, and wanted this to be clear.**

 **Anyway, this chapter will be cross-posted on my Tumblr account, and as usual comments and feedback will be appreciated.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: All Hail the King**

"Edward Elric, the dog of the military.." Isaac spat angrily, staring at the young alchemist "State Alchemist. Do you have any idea what this country is trying to do ?" as he glimpsed at the dull sheen of the military watch beneath his coat, watching the walls slowly encapsulate the darkened alley and that moment, Issac looks like the Ishvals all fearful for their lives.

"Hell if I know.."

* * *

Isaac protested to the naive alchemist "if you did know, you'd understand why I'm doing this..", swallowing down his tears, thinking about the office which he has to debate his reasoning to leave, how the air feels rigid as he watched the fan swirled by. An old face from the cold office, indifferent to Issac's withdrawal of his title as he handed over the certification and his state "You did the Fuhrer service.." That young officer replied to him "You knew what you have signed up." Isaac held the glass tightly, hearing the click of the heels going up and down the balcony outside. Must be Kimblee's oxfords, he always wore this to elevate himself a little from the sea of tall alchemists. "You brought us the glory and the end of that damning war…and yet to resign in midst of something greater than you think, that is a disgrace to our country"

"To hell with glory…" Isaac shouted angrily "You only think, it is profit and all lives are weapons…"

"It is all ordinated by the Furher.."

Issac bit his lip slightly as the sound of the clock ticking grated his nerves like the mines on the field. "The moment a State Alchemist walked away, he is cast out to the coldness of the world and I swear by God that you breathed a word from us…" The old lady warned him coldly "The Further will not take you lightly." Isaac swallowed slightly, something must be lurking beneath the underbelly of the military "I know, a State Alchemist must obey no matter the circumstances…"

"I understood.." Both figures quietly walked around. "You are dismissed…" Isaac barely looked them in the eye and exited out from the door. Kimblee stood by the end of the office, watching Issac finally relaxed. "I knew that you are a bloody coward.." as he watched him walk away. "From the beginning you are…" Quietly he titled his fedora and enter the room. Isaac cannot forget that indifferent smile writhed in his face. "Wish me luck Ice Alchemist…"

* * *

"I told you, I don't know.," Edward shouted angrily, as he watched Alphonse jumped over the hedge and fought Isaac, with lunges and kicks at the side. "Brother his alchemy.." Al shouted loudly as Edward Elric glanced over the walls that slowly formed together into a circle. Edward gritted his teeth angrily "I know…" It must be the work of the Philosopher's Stone. Quickly the brothers run to catch up with Issac, which proves to be too late, as they found him panting heavily at the gate, "To hell with your blabbering nonsense…"

"King Bradley, I am going to send you to hell with my ice.."

Slowly a formidable wall was formed and Isaac stood somberly on the hill with, his eyes unto the damming place which he has then tested Central headquarters. A place which he regretted to cross paths with.

* * *

Isaac gripped his sketchbook tightly as he watched over the changing landscapes, and when he is not reading up his texts, he drew images of his childhood, and the villages that past through the window. Sometimes he would gaze at the cities all trickled with stars. It gave him a small smile.

Amidst of his sleep, he could hear different voices lingering over, an opera singer doing vocal practices, a manager smoking a cigarette with his puffs, the flipping of the newspaper, and him waking up to a family pudding together amidst the chill. Isaac smiled blissfully as he took his pencil and sketched the blissful face of the child. For that moment home seems to be nearer, as he recalled him piggybacking one of the neighbours' children home after a long trek from school.

Before long, he could hear the whistle of the steam, and the mummers of a mother coaxing her child to wake up from its slumber. A quiet man with gold-rimmed glasses looked at the alchemist "You seems to come from somewhere far.." Isaac swallowed slightly as he passed the ticket to the train conductor "Do you have agendas with the city.."

"Exams.." Isaac spoke sheepishly "I am going to do something great for this country.." He smiled quietly as he slips the ticket into the hole puncher and snapped it "Oh I heard that it is going to be tough lad.." He watched his expression changed slightly, as if regretful from his past "You will see the worse of humanity, but you have to live yourself in the end." as he seen a page dropping out from his sketchbook "Hate young faces like you, wasting your youth on something horrid.." The train conductor passed it back to Isaac "To go to Central Headquarters, turn to Exit C..I think there are guards waiting for you.."

"How do you know.."

The train conductor smiled again "When they come back, I recognize that everything changed" His jovial nature turned solemn when he watched Isaac descend down to the steps of the carriage. "..lost one myself because of a test..but I live with the consequences…"

Issac came to the reception desk, all tethered with typewriters and sullen faces, staring at the other alchemists, all vying for the title. "Your name.."

"Issac McDougal.."

The receptionist smiled pensively "Have you got the relevant documents.." Issac searched through his satchel and presented the writings "Do you have arrangements for your stay…"

"Nothing much…"

"One moment please" as he watched the receptionist looking through the directory for accommodation "A potential candidate cannot be staying in the streets of Central for long." Quietly she passed Isaac another document, as she dialled a certain number "Fill this up for me, we want to be sure that whoever is staying with you, are ensured as sane…", as she passed the document to Issac. "Take a seat, it may take me a while to find you a place to stay as we have an overflow of candidates signing up to be State Alchemists…"Issac nodded quietly as he took the seat outside of the office. Issac saw youthful faces mingling themselves about the war, while the another is nose-deep with the alchemy books. Issac could do, is to sketch the architecture around this looming building.

Somehow he glanced at that quiet stranger, with an eyepatch talking to the State Alchemists, and looking at the papers. He would never forget that warm smile, which he learned, will be one of the most treacherous ever.

* * *

"Too slow…'

 _An empty armour. That child established a soul unto a piece of armor….losing an arm…A brother left without a body._

Issac's mind twisted slightly, and he gave a mocking grin to the fallen soldiers. "I get it now…you guys committed something taboo.." They followed the forbidden rule of alchemy. Human transmutation. The Military is hopeless, taking naive children to be soldiers. That is twisted. Maybe Bradley did not have a heart after all. He will use anything, as rumoured by the conspiracy to get the country in its gripping rule. And they are even blinded to that State Alchemist rule that one must not commit human transmutation.

Edward quietened slightly, reflecting his words, on the horrors and pains "You just took a step towards hell.." and without hesitation, he started to knock his face towards the ice and his brother followed suit, by kicking him down the ice wall. Isaac will never understand true pain of what they went through.

"Give up, there is no water for you to use for sure.."

Issac grinned madly at the brothers, with his vision hazed of horrors they could never know. "You forget what 70% of the body is made of.." and without hesitation, he used the trickled blood to form a shard to pierce through Edward's shoulder. He winced painfully and his armoured brother broke the shard quickly. He saw glistening shards spilt on the floor and hearing muffled conversations to stop the transmutation. Isaac stumbled quietly, with blood spilling through his pathway. He was in hell and there is no turning back. Issac muttered hurriedly under breath "You do not know the true face of this country.." Slowly the ice walls fuse together into an impregnable fort.

Sweat slowly gripped his body, as he wandered around to a corned alley, his heart raced rapidly, his mind filled with the many voices of alchemists screaming in pain, the Ishavals cowering in fear. The bombs that flashed in front of his eyes. The typewriters typing furiously from horrors to glories of the army, celebrating its damning victory over bloodshed.

* * *

"Archer…" Issac trembled as he scrawls another with a charcoal stick on the cell "Diethilde….Thaddeus…" It contrasted with the faces blistered in the hot sun. A voice broke out amidst his friezes of horrors. "Goddamn goddamn..", he scrambled to get a glass to hear hushed voices from other soldiers "Shit we cannot just figure out..that King Bradley rarely appears in the field except for some negotiations with the leaders .."

 _Something must crop up._

"Cannot be Bradley appears indifferent to the Ishvals' suffering.." a strained voice came across the room. Issac took up all of his submitted documents and his sketchbook. His heart raced as he took the steps to the next room. The other voice protested heavily "We are used dammit.."

The room filled with names, photographs of the past alchemists, the tape recording of past victims playing over and over again, forming noise in his mind. Issac came over to the conversation of harrowed faces and slowly they looked at the stranger. "Who the hell are you.."

'You must be searching for answers aren't you.." Isaac spoke calmly as he laid the papers of resignation on the table. "Get your pencils ready, I may be killed for betraying the Führer but these words will mark a lifetime for him.." Quickly one of the conspiracy persons grabbed a notepad and followed Issac's voice, and his heart raced with him, as another lady pressing the button on the recorder. "I never knew what my friend Archer, as written in the official records as The Giant-Working Alchemist did at the war, but somehow he always has a hunching suspicion about the Furher's actions." Their ears perked to every account, he recalls whispers from the bunkers with Archer placing a cigarette on his mouth, blowing out the troubles from the war, glimpses of Bradley negotiating with helpless villagers. The smirk on Kimblee's face as he watched the battlefield litter with blood and gore. Names once etched manically on the walls become animated with backstories of the past like Apollo's concern about his ageing grandmother whilst other Alchemist, which he is known by his codename as The Reflecting Alchemist, become blinded due to an explosion caused by a failed explosion. One of the conspiracists held back her tears as she held the recorder near to his mouth, as he describes the most horrifying moment, which Issac could still hear the guttural screaming of an Ishval in his mind as he choked him to death.

"I hope yours will be sufficient, to convey the horrors.." Issac swallowed slightly "My concern that you will see that Bradley is nothing but a coward hiding in the curtain, where we laid our lives, for a hapless fool. And I am going to expose his rotting corpse to the city"

One of the conspiracists came up "So what are you going to do now.." as she pressed the stop button of the recorder. "We have nothing to throw down the Fuhrer…" Issac smiled coldly, his hand muscles tensed slightly and the evidence littered on the table.

"I have something in mind…"

* * *

Voices echoed back and forth in the city, as he retreated to a quiet corner. For that moment he could hear a defiant Roy shouting in protest for Issac's cruelty "Don't underestimate my flames.." as he seen shapes running back and forth to quell his plan. There is no turning back, not even the alchemist can stop this.

His breathing becomes shallow, as he gripped himself to the wall, only shrouded by darkness. He glanced at his target who stared him cold, as like the posters that are plastered around his town.

"Bradley.." His breathing grew heavier and heavier the moment he saw that ghost. That ghost that haunted him for many years, to the point that madness crippled his soul. He laughed manically as he pulled out blood shards from his bleeding body "Brace yourself." His skin grew colder and colder, as he ran without hesitation, fingers trembling The world must know his cruelty.

His final stand to take down the King as he ran over to the figure of torment.

What he felt next, is a sharp slice from Bradley's sabre. He found himself choking in a sea of blood. His eyes drift to the abyss, remembering Archer's smile "I will follow you hell and back…", as he watched over the luminous green cloud covering the shadowy figures climbing over the trenches, and voices thralling for war. He smiled at that memory, as he collapsed to the floor, with blood sprayed on the walls, and him caught by Archer "We will make it home…I am sure of it.."

Indeed we will make it home. Issac thought blissfully. Indeed Archer.

A stream of blackened blood covered the dark alleyway. A small ball rolled down the floor and slowly dissolved into ash.

* * *

Kimblee chuckled coldly as he heard the whispered rumours of Isaac's death "That is too bad..". Kimblee placed the stone back into his mouth. A pawn has fallen, no one will know his secret. The king always triumphed amidst the usurper. The only sounds that he heard from his prison walls, are the State Alchemists clearing up the broken walls that Isaac foolishly built to take down a king.

* * *

 **Note:** Thank you all, who followed my story, and seen through the slowness. Hope my pacing is not too rushed for you guys to follow, as I focused on doing too many projects, and editing some. So this is like my first challenge to flesh out a one noted character (Which I did again in God of War that is pretty amusing AF as it kinda prepared me to build Sigyn), this idea has been floating in my head since I rewatched the Brotherhood series from the shitty FMA film. It was until my trip to Japan that I thought of that idea and just run with it, given I have just completed my Violet Evergarden fanfic. I hope you enjoyed the world I created within a short span of time. I may do more but currently, I want to do up other projects, so I will focus on my new God of War fanfic and the editing of my own projects which are a children's book and my novella which has been my baby for years.

Anyway if you do not read Stolen, you can check it on the fanfiction account, if not I will post it on Tumblr for you guys to read it!

As usual comments and feedback will be appreciated.


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